London's Supercars Owners Can Now Be Fined For Acting Like Jackasses

Over the summer we learned that London has a problem with supercars. During summer months many Arab supercar owners head to the British capital to beat the Middle Eastern heat. Oftentimes they bring their supercars with them. Some of these vacationers drive like madmen, revving their engines incredibly loud and hooning their cars on public streets just for fun. Now such behavior can warrant a £1,000 fine ($1,500 USD) thanks to a Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO). However, there are some catches to the PSOP.

For starters, it was only passed by the council of the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. Basically, it only works in that neighborhood. What’s more is that it’s one of London’s smallest—albeit one of its most densely populated—boroughs. However, it is home to many luxury stores and shops and has been the site of quick a few supercar sightings.The PSOP covers such actions as leaving an engine in an unattended car idling, revving an engine, racing, performing stunts (aka hooning), pressing the horn for fun and causing obstructions. If you are trying to show off, hold up traffic to draw a crowd to your car or just are in the mood for driving recklessly then you could face a fine.

Residents can call a 24-hour number and report the offending cars. Police or council officers will be dispatched and if the car is gone then the plate number will be taken down. Should foreigners try to dodge the tickets then their embassy will be contacted and asked to enforce the fine. Should that not work then the driving authorities in the foreigner’s home country will be notified of the offense. The max penalty is $1,500 which may not be much at all when it comes to someone who owns a Lamborghini Aventador or Bugatti Veyron but at least it’s a start. It’s not as nuts as actually towing and impounding a supercar, like one British city did, but it’s a start. Of course we'll need to wait almost a year to see if the PSOP has any affect as winter is coming.